MORTIAN

HEAD OF EVERYTHING

My name is Markus, and I have been passionate about scale modeling, tabletop wargaming, and vehicle design for as long as I can remember.

I started building model kits as a child, fascinated by machines, details, and the idea of creating something tangible with my own hands. In 2001, I entered the world of tabletop gaming with my first Warhammer 40,000 army – Tyranids. Over the years, this passion expanded into multiple factions including Space Marines, Necrons, Tau, Chaos Space Marines, and even Warhammer Fantasy Daemonettes (the sexy ones from Juan Diaz 😉 ). My most recent large-scale project was the Death Korps of Krieg, a faction that perfectly captures the grimdark aesthetic I have always loved.

During my early journey, I also had the opportunity to work with Games Workshop – the creators of Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 – as well as several smaller scale model companies. This experience gave me valuable insight into miniature design, production processes, and the expectations of the tabletop community.

However, I always felt the urge to create something of my own.

In 2018, while studying industrial engineering, I designed my first original tank in a CAD class – the Mortian MBT. At the time, I was not fully satisfied with existing Imperial Guard tank designs like the Leman Russ. My goal was to create the perfect proxy model: a tank that felt realistic, detailed, and grounded, while still fitting seamlessly into the Warhammer 40k universe.

This project marked the beginning of Mortian. (The name was a suggestion from a guy in an online forum)

Alongside developing my own designs, I built a professional career as a project manager in the automotive industry. I worked on international projects, including localization programs for China at Webasto, held a team lead position in body development at BMW, and managed as well as supported US-based projects at iwis motorsysteme. 

But ultimately, my passion for designing detailed tabletop miniatures and realistic tank models became too strong to ignore.

Later in 2018, I founded Mortian as a full-time business, focusing on high-quality proxy models for the Imperial Guard – now officially known as Astra Militarum (although I still prefer the classic name). My goal has always been to create highly detailed, modular, and realistic tank miniatures that stand out on the tabletop and appeal to collectors, painters, and competitive players alike.

Detail has always been my main focus – and then adding even more detail.

While I continuously improve my skills in design, engineering, and product development, I openly admit that areas like marketing, website optimization, and logistics are not my natural strengths. However, I see this as part of the journey: constantly learning, improving, and refining not only the models themselves but the entire Mortian experience.

Today, Mortian represents the combination of lifelong passion, professional engineering experience, and a clear vision: to create some of the most detailed and distinctive proxy tank models in the tabletop world.